Artificial playing-bed for open-air games.



J. H. STEDMAN. ARTIFICIAL PLAYING BBD FOR OPENAIB. GAMES.

APPLICATION FILED MAB.. 20,1909.

Patented May 1o, 1910.

inviTED JAMES H. vB'|'.EDMAI\T, 0F BRAIN'TREE, MASSACHUSETTS.

ARTIFICIAL PLAYING-BED FOR OPEN-AIR GAMES.

Specification of Iletters Patent.

Patented May 10, 19M).

Application filed March 20, 1909. Serial No. 484,621.

To all whom 'it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES H. STEDMAN of Braintree, in the county of Norfolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Artificial Playing-Beds for Gpen-Air Games, of which the following is a specification.

This invention has for its object to provide foruse in playing games such as golf, tennis and croquet, which are played out of doors on more or less natural courses, grounds, or beds, an artificial ground or playing bed laid upon natural earth and presenting a surface particularly adapted for use in a so-called putting green as a substitute for a cla-y bed coated with loose sand, such as is in common use in localities where natural grass greens are not obtainable on account of peculiarities of soil andclimate, as is the case in southern portions of the,

United States. In such localities it is customary to prepare a putting green by pioviding a clay bed covering the putting area, the surface of the bed being rendered as level as possible, and then sprinkling loose .sand on the clay surface. A relatively hard clay surface is notv considered suitable in a bed or course for golf balls to roll upon, and the loose coating of sand is considered desirable for reasons which appeal to golf players. The sand coating is, however, liable to be displaced and swept o by wind, so that much care and labor are required to keep a sand green 'in proper condition, the sand havingto be replaced and uniformly distributed at more or less frequent intervals. The maintenance of a sand green in proper condition is therefore a matter of considerable expense, which often amounts to several hundredl dollars per season for each green.

My invention has for its chief object to provide a durable articial game playing ground or bed for out of door use, and particularly an artificial putting green, the ball supporting surface of which shall be of such nature as to suit the taste and idiosyncrasies of golf players, and shall, moreover, be reasonably permanent, and will require no care during its natural life.

To this end the invention consists in the improvements which I will now proceed to describe and claim.

ing my invention. Fig. 2 represents a sectional view of the same. Fig. 3 representsa section on line 3-3 of Fig. 1, on a lar er scale.' Fig. 4 represents a plan view o a part of the top`layer, hereinafter described. E represents a section on line 5 5 of The same reference characters indicate the same parts in all the figures.

v In the drawin 12 represents a relatively thick and rigid lase layer. which is preferably concrete, and may be formed by depositing a mass of plastic concrete in a shallow cavity 13 formed for its reception in the surface of a clay field.

14 represents an' intermediate layer of yielding material having a low degree of elasticity, such as uncured rubber or any composition having substantially the characteristics that are possessed by rubber or a rubber compound as prepared for vulcanization. The layer 14 is applied to the u per surface of the rigid base layer' 12, anentirely .covers the same.

15 represents a top layer which is of flexible, resilient material, such as rubberv vulcanized to thedegree of elasticity ordinarily possessed by rubber soles of tennis and other shoes, the layer 15 bearing upon the intermediate layer 14, and entirely covering the same. The upper surface of the top layer 15 is suitably diversifiedk or roughened to enable it to properly engage a golf ball. The formation of the ro-ughened surface may be variously modified. I have here shown the said surface provided with rows of protuberances 16 of approximately yramidal form. It is obvious, however, t at any other form of roughened surface which wi l properly coperate with the ball in the operation of putting, may be employed.

The intermediate layer 14 is cemented or otherwise firmly secured to the base layer 12, and the to layer 15 is also cemented or otherwise iii-m y secured to the intermediate layer. The wall of the cavity 13 is preferably formed to surround the margins of the intermediate and top layers, the roughened surface of the top layer being flush with the surrounding surface of the field.

The layers 1'4 and 15 are preferably made in sections which are separable from each other. Each layer may comprise a circular central section 17, and segmental sections 18 'surrounding the central section, the said sections being fitted together, as illustrated in Fig. 1. The sections of the top layer 15 are preferably arranged to break jointsJwith the sections of the intermediate layer, to reduce to the v'minimum the depression of the edges of the top layer by pressure exerted upon it at the joints of the sections. The radial dotted lines in Fig. 1 are intended to represent the joints of the sections of the intermediate layer 14.

The base layer 12 is provided with a cavity 19 adapted to receive a golfv ball, said cavity corresponding to the usual cup at the center of a putting green. The intermediate and top sections are provided with coinciding cavities`20 and 21, which also coincide with the cavity 19.

The object of the intermediate layer '14 is to deaden the ball supporting-surface so thatl the rebound of a ball striking the same percussively will be reduced to the minimum, and will be much .less than would be the case if the outer layer 15 of more resilient material were backed by a rigid support. The resilience of the top layer 15 maintains Va normally level surface by springing'outwardly to its normal level form after being indented by the impact of the ball against 1t. I find that vulcanized rubber is the best material for the top layer, this material possessing desirable wear-resisting qualities as well as resilience.

The circular central section 17 is the part which sustains the` greatest amount of wear. and the separability of the sections from each other enables this part of the surface of the green to be readily renewed as may be required.

It is obvious that a playing bed composed l of the layers 13, 14, and 15 may be adapted for use as a tennis court or as a croquet ground, the cavity 19 being omitted and the sections of the layers 14 and 15 being suitably-formed to adapt them to a rectangular area. If a sanded surface is desired, loose sand may be sprinkled on the layer 15, in suiicient quantity to about ll` the channels between the protuberances 16. Said protuberances prevent the sand from being blown away to any great extent. The channels form gutters through which surface water will run off, whether sand is used or not. The waterproof nature of the layers 14 and 15 will prevent the bed from becoming soggy, and will cause it to quickly dry by evaporation.

I claim:

1. An artificial playing a relatively thick and rigid base layer having a cavity in its central ortion, a comressible relatively inelastic intermediate ayer supported by the bed, and atop layer o resilient wear-resisting material supported by the intermediate layer, the central portions of the intermediate and top layers having coinciding orifices, which coincide with the cavity in the base layer.

2. An artificial playing bed comprising a relatively thick and rigid base layer, a compressible relativelyl inelastic intermediate layer supported by the bed, and a top layer of resilient wear-resisting material supported by the intermediate layer.

3. An artificial playin bed comprising a relatively thick and rigi base layer, a compressible relatively inelastic intermediate layer supported by the bed, and a top layer of resilient wear-resisting material supported by the intermediate layer, and provided with a roughened u per surface.

4. An artificial p ayin bed comprising a relatively thick and rigi base layer, a compressible relatively inelastic intermediate layer supported by the bed, and atop layer of resilient wear-resisting material supported by the intermediate layer, the said intermediate and top layers being composed of sections, the sections of each sectional layer breaking joints with those of the other layer.

5. An artificial playing bed comprising a concrete base layer having a cup cavity in its central ortion, an intermediate layer of compressib e inelastic material sup orted by the base layer, anda top layer o relatively resilient wear-resistn material supported by the intermediate Iayer, and provided with a roughened upper surface, the

intermediate and top layers being made in sections and the central sections being pro vided with coinciding orifices which coincide with the cavity in the base layer.-

In testimony whereof I have aiiixed my signature, in presence of two witnesses.

, JAMES H. STEDMAN. Witnesses:

C. F. BROWN, E. BATCHELDEB.

bed comprising 

